Princess Eugenie’s wedding style was quietly brave and broke with royal tradition

If you hadn’t noticed from all the social news sources already, it was a pretty big weekend for the UK royals. Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle drew a major crowd of celebs including W, and James Blunt. The guest fashion award hands down had to go to Naomi Campbell in Ralph & Russo. Just jaw dropping gorgeous. Give me a moment to compose myself, girl.

Poppy Delevingne in Oscar de la Renta

Naomi Campbell in Ralph and Russo

Demi Moore in Stella McCartney

Liv Tyler in Stella McCartney

Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle in Givenchy

Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton in Alexander McQueen

Cara Delevingne in Emporio Armani

While the wedding certainly wasn’t full of fireworks, Princess Eugenie definitely broke with a few traditions and proved herself to be pretty fearless. She wore a Peter Pilotto gown with a portrait neckline that folded around her shoulders, and a low sweeping back that intentionally showed off the bride’s scars from an operation to straighten her spine. Instead of hiding her imperfections, Eugenie wanted her gown to showcase the scars as a tribute to the hospital and doctors that had performed her surgery in 2002 following a diagnosis of scoliosis.

What an incredible perspective and strength of character. While so many of us are covering up our flaws, and embarrassed of our defects, Princess Eugenie is celebrating them. Actually having a major designer to showcase your scars is a pretty big commitment to your cause, and she truly looked beautiful.

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Designers Peter Pilotto and partner Christopher De Vos used several different motifs in creating the custom sculpted jacquard fabric: Thistle for Scotland – representing the couple’s love for Balmoral; Shamrock for Ireland, where the Ferguson family is from; the York Rose; and ivy representing Ivy Cottage, where the couple lives. From afar, it just looks like white jacquard. And while it may not be something borrowed and something blue, the Pilotto house made sure to make what Eugenie wore much more meaningful.

One thing that struck me was that Eugenia has chosen simple and understated with the fabric, opting for the beauty to be showcased in a gorgeous silhouette and neckline. This classicism has been the aesthetic of both Kate Middleton as well as Meghan Markle, and I think their decisions will hold up well for decades to come.

Another modern break with tradition was to ditch the veil. Thankfully so, considering how windy it was, but her choice to not cover up not only ensured more visibility of her scar, but also showed off that gorgeous tiara borrowed from the Queen. Made by Boucheron in 1919, the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik was created in the style favored by the Russian Imperial Court, with seven emeralds, which beautifully accentuated the bride’s auburn hair.

After the ceremony, Eugenie changed into a blush plissé silk gown with a 1940’s vintage vibe. Once again, this broke with royal tradition, as the bride opted for an American designer, using Zac Posen to create the custom gown.

In comparing the three again with their second dresses, Kate and Eugenie went classic while Meghan kicked it up just a step with something a little more modern. Yet all three kept it clean and understated – no big embellishments. About the craziest part was Kate’s fur jacket, and even that was low key.

And it wouldn’t be me without a little food porn. London cake designer Sophie Cabot created the wedding cake – a red velvet and chocolate 5-tiered tower of confectionary bliss. The cake was decorated in sugared fall leaves and ivy, nodding to the couple’s home at Ivy Cottage in Kensington Palace.